1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a solid electrolytic capacitor, such as tantalum capacitor or aluminum capacitor, which comprises a resin package from which a pair of leads projects out for electrical connection to a circuit pattern.
2. Description of the Related Art
A package-type solid electrolytic capacitor is known from Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 60-220922 for example. The capacitor disclosed in this Japanese document comprises a capacitor element which includes a capacitor chip and an anode wire projecting from the chip. The anode wire is electrically connected to an anode lead, whereas the chip is electrically connected to a cathode lead.
The capacitor further includes a resin package enclosing the capacitor element together with part of the anode and cathode leads. The projecting portions of the respective leads are bent toward the underside of the resin package for conveniently mounting to a surface of a circuit board (not shown).
The prior art capacitor is a polar component, so that some measure must be taken to ensure that the capacitor is mounted with a correct polarity relative to the circuit pattern of the circuit board. As a result, the mounting of the capacitor becomes troublesome particularly if the capacitor has a symmetric configuration. Further, if the capacitor is mounted with a reverse polarity, it generates a lot of heat, thereby critically damaging the capacitor and/or the circuit in which the capacitor is incorporated.